The Only Two Men She Ever Loved
by Ninrien
Summary: Ajihad and Murtagh were the two most important people in Nasuada's life and she lost them both to the war against the Empire and Galbatorix, on the day of the victory, she mourns her loss.


**I really like Murtagh and Nasuada together so I thought I'd write this as a sort of sequel to The Fallen Rider..yeah, I know Murtagh dies in that but this is just Nasuada's feelings after he's gone and a few flashbacks and stuff. Review please, you'll totally make my day, thanks.**

**Disclaimer: Never owned Inheritance, never will.**

The Only Two Men She Ever Loved

Nasuada took a deep breath and stopped herself from clutching at her dress. She looked down from the battlements and she saw the people gathered there to hear her speak, she had led them through the battle, led them through great self sacrifice, she had earned this right, the right to lead the Empire. A great clamour arose from the crowd, they wanted to hear her talk, some of them would be in a hurry to return to the tents where the wounded were lying, being tended to.

She raised her hands and they fell silent.

"This is a great victory for us all, yet a terrible one. You have fought well and bravely and for that you now have your reward, the freedom to live without being hunted, to live without fear, for yourself or for others. We now look upon a glorious future, where we may all live as free human beings.

However, we have paid a great price, one which nearly every one of you feels in one way or the other. You have lost those who loved and lived with you and for you. I feel this loss myself. We have all lost valued and trusted leaders, every single race which walks in Alagaesia has suffered a loss and for this, my people, we should mourn. Today is a day of mourning, one day would not be enough but we have no time for more. Tomorrow we will begin our recovery, today let yourself weep for those whom you have lost to this war, think of them and remember that they have died, each one of them to let you live the life which you will live from tomorrow. Draw courage from your memories of them and keep them in your minds for they deserve your remembrance."

People had begun to weep in the crowd and she found that a tear was sliding down her cheek, she raised a hand to wipe it away and then lowered it when she recalled what she had just spoken, she would weep for the soldiers whom she had lost, she would weep for those among her people who had died to make this victory possible and above all, she would weep for the loss of the two men whom she had loved in her short life.

Eragon was speaking now and everyone listened again, he did not have as great a skill with words as she did but he was the people's hero and they respected him.

She realized that Arya had come to stand by her, when she looked up to meet her eyes she saw that they were wet with unshed tears, Islanzadi was dead, she felt a kinship with Arya, a strange one but one that was nevertheless there. The loss of a parent and a lover to a tyrant's cruelty was hard to bear and she could vouch for that herself. Yet, she saw hope for Arya in the way she looked at Eragon and the love which Eragon bore for her in return.

Eragon had stopped speaking and the crowd began to disperse slowly.

They stood on the battlements together for some time and then she forced herself to speak.

"Eragon , there is something which I feel you have a right to know. If you have some time to spare, then please, come with me to my tent." She said, feeling glad that her voice did not tremble."Arya, you too."

They walked through the streets of Uru'baen to the wrecked gates and then out into the camps where the Varden were staying temporarily till space could be found for everyone in the city. It seemed like an extremely long walk to her tent and she let out a sigh of relief when they reached it.

They went in and sat down and she thought about what she was about to tell Eragon and Arya.

"Murtagh and I were lovers." She said and she watched as Eragon's face changed, a series of emotions showed on it and then finally his features rested into an expression of understanding.

"We always knew that nothing would come of it but there are some things in life which are inevitable. He knew that he would die and I knew that I would need his death to come about in order to win my battle. He always tried to break free Eragon, he was not evil, he was your brother." She said and she felt, for the first time in her life that she was groping for words, she did not know how to say what she wanted to say.

Murtagh and Ajihad. Two great people, they had not deserved death.

Ajihad had fought his way through countless perils to reach the Varden and she had been nothing but a burden to him then, an additional weakness, he loved her so much as to take wounds which would have killed her if they had reached her.

He had carried her to the Varden, just in time for her to be given healing and to survive. He had been her teacher, her guide, her protector and her father. She had lost him to duty, lost him because he always put the people before himself, and she had learnt that from him.

She was lost in her thoughts, not knowing what was going on around her and she remembered her first meeting with Murtagh, the first time she had found herself in his arms and the first time he had kissed her, a countless memories, each one of them were as dear to her as those from her childhood.

She would love them as long as she lived and afterwards too. Then she remembered that Eragon and Arya were in the tent still, waiting for her to speak.

"I am sorry, I was thinking about him and Ajihad. Eragon, I have a favor to ask you." She said and she waited anxiously to hear his assent.

"Anything which I can perform, Nasuada." He replied and she smiled at him through the tears which had begun to flood down her face.

"Would you give Murtagh a funeral?" she asked, this time certain that he would say yes, for her sake if not for Murtagh's.

"Thank you." She said and turned her face away from them, hiding her tears even though she knew that she should not be ashamed of them. She would let herself forget duty for today and mourn for the men whom she had lost.

_He kissed her again and then moved his face away a little, cupping her face in his hands and looking into her eyes as if he could see everything which he had ever wanted in them, as if her eyes were perfect in themselves. _

"_I love you forever." He whispered and she whispered the same back to him. He allowed a second to pass and then lowered his lips to hers yet again. _

"_We have a lot of time left to us." She whispered against his lips but he did not stop._

It was as though he had always known, since then, that their story wouldn't have a happy ending but that it was better to have lived and loved and lost than to have never loved at all and they had known that from the start.

**I know that this is sort of incomplete and not at all a satisfactory story so sorry guys, don't hate me. Review still, please,please. But……DO NOT FLAME. **

**Thanx for reading.**


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